Robert Robillard
Carpenter and Editor
"A full service renovation company sharing its knowledge and experience to share information and educate on remodeling best practices."
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What's new at Concord Carpenter?
Hi Guys,
What does Lighthouses, Kayks, Safaris, work ethic and tools have in common?
This weeks happenings at ACC!
It's Sunday morning and I had a chance to sleep in to 7:30 today, what a treat! My house is empty as all the kids are off with friends. I'm going to try to get into my Kayak today and explore the Concord River.
One cool thing about the Concord River is a place called Egg Rock. Egg Rock is an 100 x 50 meter, oval outcrop of Silurian Straw Hollow Diorite at the confluence of the Assabet and Sudbury Rivers, where they beet to form the Concord River.
Three rivers meet at Egg Rock. The Assabet [34 miles] and Sudbury Rivers [32.7 miles] flow into the Concord River, which flows into the Merrimack River in Lowell, MA and
then into the ocean at Plum Island.
I especially like the Concord River River because it travels directly under North Bridge. The North Bridge, often colloquially called the Old North Bridge, is a
historical site in the Battle of Concord, the first day of battle in the
American War of Independence
and was the subject of a famous 19th century book by Henry David Thoreau.
No Kids!!!
My oldest son is off to Woods Hole today. Woods Hole is in the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts [Cape Cod] It lies at the extreme southwest corner of Cape Cod, near Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands. The population is approximately 925.
I've always loved visiting Woods Hole. When I was in elementary and middle school my family often vacationed in Falmouth and for a short period of time I seriously flirted with the idea of becoming a marine biologist.
Woods Hole is the site of several famous marine science institutions, including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Marine Biological Laboratory, the Woods Hole Research Center, NOAA's
Northeast Fisheries Science Center (which started the Woods Hole scientific community in 1871), a USGS
coastal and marine geology center, and the home campus of the Sea Education Association.
It is also the site of United States Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England, at Nobska Light [pictured above] lighthouse, and the terminus of the Steamship Authority ferry route between Cape Cod and the island of Martha's Vineyard.
My youngest daughter is with a friends at the North shore - Essex. Essex is a town [pop. 3,504] in Essex County, Massachusetts, 26 miles north of Boston - the same area where the Concord - Merrimack River drains.
Essex is a beautiful village with great beaches and brackish water canals that are GREAT for kayaking. I need to get up there someday!!!!
Lastly, my middle daughter is en-route to Africa with a family friend. Once there she will be volunteering and visiting Amani Children's Home, an
orphanage, in Tanzania. The plan is to also get in a safari before returning home.
WOW - my kids have a better social life than I do! I try to remind them to enjoy it, because because they are living their EASIEST third of their life right now!!!
Instilling A Work Ethic With My Teen
I think we all agree that when teens do not
learn to work at an early age that can lead to a whole host of future
problems with life, boss, employer relationships, etc
It's also super important to encourage our kids
to complete whatever job they start.
I sometimes feel that today's youth are lazy. Maybe I'm wrong.
I feel the
problem is two-fold. Parents [myself included] have neglected their responsibility to
teach their children to work hard and the benefits of doing so. We all want an easier and better life for our kids than we had - right?
The
second part of the problem is that teen entertainment almost always
includes an unhealthy dose of movies, television and video games. Rather than get a job, play sports or get involved in
other productive activities, many kids spend countless hours
sitting in front a TV or computer screen.
Work Ethic Defined
Working hard is a learned habit, something that is instilled within a
person from a young age. It develops over time, like becoming a good
pianist, for example.
The term work ethic is defined as, a set of values based on the moral virtues of hard work and diligence (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition).
Working teaches responsibility and
the fact that someone is in charge and someone else must do the work.
Teaching our kids a work ethic does not have to be a miserable experience, if done
properly it can be exciting and will be a true learning experience.
Now that he is seventeen and looking for a full time job I felt it was best to have him work for someone who was not his "dad." When he works for me he feels comfortable to bend the rules, take days off, blow off, sleep in, complain, etc.
So this year I told my son that he could not work for me.
I gave hi some contact numbers and had him call a few contractors I knew. He subsequently landed a summer job with a friend / painter contractor. This way my son has to learn to conform and take direction from someone other than dad. He needs to follow his new boss's rules or suffer the consequences!
Have you had anything similar with your kids?
Young People And Construction Careers
Did you ever stop and think about who builds the roads, bridges, skyscrapers,
airports, and power plants? Look around.
The construction field has always had the perception for being a place that "flunkies" go after high school to work. "Pick up a hammer, shovel or wrench and get working!"
I'm not too far of am I? I'd like to help change that perception.
The reality is that this county has a huge demand for trained and skilled workers, not just flunkies with a hammer. Our infrastructure projects are happening now and demand
excellence.
There are excellent training schools out there like the North Bennet Street School of Carpentry where young men and women can get a jump start on a carpentry career and learn to be construction professionals.
I'm currently researching and writing a article on the topic of engaging young men and women to enter into the professional trades. This article will be featured on the home page of my website for two weeks prior to National Tradesman Day.
Got a great idea? Email me here!!!
Concord Carpenter's Weekly Photo
The Photo above is a section of garage door trim with a transom window. The significance of this photo is to show that the vertical and horizontal trim seams do not line up. [under the sill] There is a trick we use to line these two pieces up.
Do you know what it is?
Our newest addition to the Concord Carpenter team, Ethan Bickford, is currently writing a how-to article on how to quickly and easily make these two seams flush. Stay tuned - we'll post a link to that article here!!
Adding Accent Lighting
Adding accent lighting to a room helps illuminate the unique aspects of that room. Aspects like crown moldings, decorative columns, other architectural details, pictures, art pieces, and furniture.
Projects like this are relatively easy DIY projects. Take a look at
some of my past projects here for more details on doing this yourself: How To Install Crown Molding With Rope Lighting and here Designing With Rope Lighting
Milwaukee M12 Fuel Drill Driver Giveaway
The folks at Milwaukee are offering my
newsletter subscribers the chance to win their M12 FUEL Drill/Driver
(2403-20/22).
The 2403-22 drill driver integrates three innovative
cordless technologies that help the tool achieve up to 10X longer life,
2X more power and 4X more run-time. The Drill/Driver is also the first
sub-compact tools in the industry to offer a ½ chuck.
In order to enter this giveaway you must follow the instructions below:
Tool Stuff and Other Cool Articles!
Track Saw Blades
Freud is well known for providing quality
bits
and blades that provide clean cuts. Festool is known for making
exceedingly well engineered and manufactured tools. So it's no surprise
that Freud started making track saw blades that are compatible with
Festool (and other) track saws. READ MORE
Irwin Utility Knife - new design
The Irwin Utility Knife FK150 is a sleek,
well-built folding utility knife that has some classic features as well
as incorporating a host of new technologies. READ MORE
Fiber Cement Siding
There are many options when it comes to
siding for the home, more dated options such as the traditional wood
and shingle siding have disadvantages such as frequent maintenance and
are more susceptible to damage, including weather damage and
insects/pests.
Fiber cement siding is comprised of a
combination of cement, sand, and cellulous fibers. The blend of
materials produces a dimensionally stable, stronger siding, which is
more tolerant to weathering and more versatile in appearance. READ MORE
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